Yes, of course it’s going to be difficult replacing Robin van Persie and his 37 goals. Any team would struggle to fill that kind of void.

In an effort to do that, though, I reckon Arsenal fans can look forward to watching a more organized unit, particularly in the way they react without the ball. Evidence of that could be seen amongst the huff and puff of last Saturday’s opening day goalless draw against Sunderland.

It was obvious that the back four had been working on shape, and that the midfield was geared to offer better protection. Less gung-ho in search of a breakthrough, the side had clearly benefitted from specialized coaching.

For that, credit must go to Arsene Wenger’s new assistants, my old team-mate Steve Bould and his like-minded colleague, Neil Banfield. Not before time, it seems that Wenger is allowing his coaches to coach. Players previously crying out for a bit of guidance, especially on the defensive side, are now receiving expert instruction from two wise heads.

The result will be more solidity at the back, a few more clean sheets to ease the goalscoring burden. You can’t concede 49 goals, as Arsenal did last season, and expect to achieve anything. Wenger appears to have realised this, hence his decision to delegate some of the work by letting Bould and Banfield loose on the training ground.

This change of tack, in fact, should come in handy on Sunday when Arsenal travel to Stoke for their annual physical. Better preparation can only help when Tony Pulis’s boys start bombarding that penalty box.

Yet Arsenal might boast one or two tricks of their own when it comes to set pieces, using height and power. With Laurent Koscielny still out, 6 ft 6 in Per Mertesacker should once again deputize at centre-half, which could be useful in handling Peter Crouch.

Mertesacker also has a part to play up the other end, where after several years of off-the-cuff stuff Arsenal are finally trying one or two rehearsed corners. One of them, what’s more, has Bould written all over it.

Mertesacker positions himself at the near post, from where he shuttles forward a few yards before backtracking in an attempt to gain space to flick on the ball. Starting from the edge of the box, Thomas Vermaelen makes a run, hoping to connect with the flick. Even if Mertesacker doesn’t get a clear touch, the corner can still cause problems when the delivery is right.

A specialist in his day at this near-post routine, Bould is now passing on what is a very simple but effective set piece. Stoke’s scout, I’m sure, will have passed on the details, having seen it in action against Sunderland. But it’s one thing knowing what’s coming, quite another dealing with it.

The same goes for Arsenal’s handling of Crouch and Co. Every individual must want to scrap, to do things that go against the grain. That applies especially to the new boys, who might not have experienced this kind of game.

But Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud will be well briefed. Stoke born and bred, Bould will have seen to it. And this kind of influence can only be good within a club searching for another way forward following Van Persie’s departure.